Panning guide



Feb. 9, 1960 Filed May 17. 1956 E. K. KAPRELIAN PANNING GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS EDWARD K. KAPRELIAN WERNER BENDER HM M M n/4 ATTORNEY Feb. 9, 1960 E. K. KAPRELIAN 'F-TAL 2,924,143

PANNING'GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17. 1956 FIG. 7

4 g I 2 g 2 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/lll INVENTORS EDWARD K. KAPRELIAN BY WERNER BENDER MMW ATTORNEYS Feb. 9, 1960 E. K. KAPRELIAN ETAL 2,924,143

PANNING GUIDE v Filed l lay 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS EDWARD K. KAPRELIAN Y WERNER BENDER FlG. I? B HMMW Arronuzy;

United States Patent PANNING GUIDE Edward K. Kaprelian, Weatogue, Conn., and Werner Bender, Bern, Switzerland, assignors to The Kalart Company Inc., Plainville, Conn.

Application May 17, 1956, Serial No. 585,415

8 Claims. (Cl. 88-16) This invention relates to photographic cameras such as motion picture and television cameras, and more particularly to a panning guide therefor.

In motion picture photography and television it is often necessary to pan a scene or to move the camera slowly and steadily in a given direction while photographing. When panning is done by supporting the camera on a special panning head good results are obtained without difiiculty, but when the camera is hand held or is supported upon an ordinary tripod head the operator is unable, or at least finds it difiicult properly to control either the steadiness or the rate of sweep of the moving camera.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which permits uniform panning of a camera held by hand, or mounted on an ordinary tripod.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which visually correlates the viewed scene and the movement of the camera thereby facilitating panning of the camera at a uniform rate.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which supplies a continuing visual indication 'of the turning of the camera in either direction relative to the viewed scene. As a result, the camera can be conveniently panned in any desired direction at a uniform rate.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which supplies a continuing visual indication of the turning of the camera in either direction relative to the viewed scene. As a result, the camera can be conveniently panned in any desired direction at a uniform rate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which is optically combined with the view finder of the camera so that the panning means can be observed simultaneously with the observation of the view finder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which is designed as an accessory that can be conveniently attached to a camera of conventional design.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved panning means which is structurally combined with the camera.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the appended drawings several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a partial side elevational view of a camera with an integral panning guide of the screw type.

Fig.2 is a partial sectional view of the camera of Fig. 1 taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial front view of the camera of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a partial side elevational view of a 2,924,143 idatented Feb. 9, 1960 camera carrying a panning guide of the disc type as an attachment.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the camera of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 4 along line 6-6.

Fig. 7 is a side view of another camera carrying a panning guide of the disc type as an attachment for the open frame view finder of the camera.

Fig. 8 shows a screw type panning guide as applied to a positive type viewfinder.

Fig. 9 shows a screw type panning guide as applied to one kind of Albada finder.

Fig. 10 shows a screw type panning guide as applied to another kind of Albada finder.

Fig. 11 shows a rotating disc type of guide as applied to a Galilean finder.

Fig. 12 is a view of the disc of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a side view of an open viewfinder employing a screw type guide.

Fig. 14 is a view of Fig. 13 along line 14-14.

Fig. 15 shows another modification of the guide.

Fig. 16 shows another guide arrangement for a Galilean viewfinder.

Fig. 17 is a top view of the guide shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 shows a top View of a guide employing a movable mirror, and

Fig. 19 is a side view of the guide shown in Fig. 18.

Referring now to the figures in detail:

Fig. 1 shows a motion picture camera having a body 10, a taking lens 12 and a main spring driven gear 14. Details of the claw, shutter and other mechanisms have been omitted. The camera may be provided with a Galilean viewfinder indicated at 16 and having the usual objective 18 and eyepiece 20. The viewfinder is spaced sufliciently far behind a frame 22 in the front of the camera body so that the frame is in the plane of the virtual image formed by the objective and is seen with good sharpness through the viewfinder. A window 24 closes the camera front. Immediately in back of the upper and lower edges of the window are supported a pair of rotating rods 26 provided with screw threads 23. The ends of these rods are held in bearings within the camera body. The rods are provided with gears 30 which through other gears 32 connecting to mainspring driven gear 14 provide for the simultaneous rotation of the two rods in opposite direction during operation of the camera. During operation the user looking through the viewfinder sees the usual field of view bordered above and below with the rotating threaded rods which, since they are viewed in profile, appear as uniformly spaced teeth, uniformly moving across the field of view. By merely maintaining selected ones of these teeth on the viewed scene with fixed relation thereto the camera can be readily panned at a uniform rate, being in a sense geared visually to the scene. Inasmuch as the upper and lower teeth move in opposite directions, right or left hand panning can be performed. If one left-hand threaded rod and one right-hand threaded rod are employed both rods can rotate in the same direction while the teeth appear to travel in opposite direction thereby still providing left and right panning.

As shown in Fig. 4, the panning guide may be adapted to existing cameras. Here a camera 40 provided with a Galilean viewfinder indicated generally at 42 carries on its top wall an accessory panner 44. A suitable screw 46 or other fastener permits removal and reattachment as desired. The panner is provided with a rotatable disc 48 provided with radial markings 50 as shown. The disc may be of transparent plastic material with painted marks, or a stamped gearlike member. The disc and a knob or handle 54 are attached to a shaft 52 which extends into the body of the panner. The inner end of shaft 52 connects to a spring 56 and through a ratchet or other suitable one-way coupling to a governor or similar escapement or timing mechanism 58. The spring and governor are desirably of the type used in the well known self-timers for camera shutters. The disc 48 is so located that its edge is just visible at thetop of the image seen in the viewfinder as shown in Fig. '6 Obviously, the accessory panner may be attached to the front or either side of the camera depending uponthe convenience of different fastening arrangements, and the edge of the disc may appear at the bottom or the sides of the field of view.

Prior to use this accessory is first woundbyrotating the shaft several turns by means of knob 54. It can be provided with a locking element which is released in order to start rotation of the disc and may employ a speed control at the governor for different panning rates if desired. The markings will appear to stand still relative to the scene being viewed when the camera is panned equal to the rate of travel of the markings. Fig. 8 shows the adaptation of thepanner to the positive or erecting telescope type of viewfinder. Here an objective lens 70 produces a real image 72 in the plane of a field mask the edges of which are formed by rods 26 having teeth 28 as shown in Fig. 1. Image 72 is reimaged by lens 74 at 76 and this erect image is the one viewed through eyepiece 78. The edges of teeth 28 appear at the top and bottom borders of the field of view much as shown in Fig. 3. In this modification, the angular panning rate is automatically altered to match the focal length of the camera lens, the focal length of view finder objective 70 being proportional to that of the camera lens.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the panner may be applied to Albada finders of unity power and less than unity power respectively.

In Fig. 9 the eye sees the field of view through a curved zero power window 80 having a partially refleeting coating on the concave side which is toward the eye. By reflection the eye sees an image of light colored mask lines 84 projected in space with the darker teeth 28 in silhouette against the mask lines.

The finder of Fig. is similar except that it employs lenses 86 and 88 to achieve a wider angle of view.

Fig. 11 shows the use of a large transparent disc 90 as the panning element in connection with the viewfinder having masks for altering the field of view. Disc 90, shown also in Fig. 12, may be provided at its periphery with teeth 92 which are engaged by gear 94. Gear 94 is driven by the camera mechanism. A Galilean viewfinder such as shown in Fig. 1 views frame 22 which outlines the field of view and simultaneously sees radial lines 96 on the disc. By choosing the top, bottom or either side edge as the reference position and gearing the lines to the scene the user can pan to the right, left,

up or down as desired. When a field restricting mask 98, such as for a telephoto lens or the like is lowered into operating position the radial panning lines are still visible through an aperture 100.

In the arrangement of Figs. 13 and 14 the panner has been adapted to an open frame finder which is built into the camera as an integral part thereof. Here the finder comprises a peep sight 102 and a front mask 104. Rotating screw threaded rods 26 are driven in any suitable fashion. Cylindrical glass or plastic rods 106 are positioned as shown so as to act as cylindrical collimators to produce thereby astigmatized images of teeth 28 at infinity, and to provide the sharpness required in order to match them against the field of view.

Fig. shows another arrangement for obtaining the panning effect. Here a toothed belt 110, or some similar belt-like or chainlike equivalent is wrapped around suitable idler rollers 112 and driven by a sprocket or pulley 114 driven in turn by the camera mechanism.

As shown in Figs.-16 and 17, the panner can also be adapted to fit within a Galilean viewfinder.

Mirrors 120 are arranged at the edges of the field of view so as to image teeth 28 be'iind the mirror when they are viewed through eyepiece 20.

It is not necessary to move the toothed pattern itself. As shown in Figs. 18 and 19, a pattern 124 may be comprised of stationary indicia for instance printed and viewed by means of swingable mirror 122 located between the elements 18 and 20 of a Galilean viewfinder. In the arrangement shown a partially reflecting mirror is used. This modification is obviously adaptable to use with fully refiecting swingable mirrors disposed at the edge of the apparent field of view.

It is obvious that the panner can also be adapted to various types of combined view-and-range finders by means well known to those skilled in the art. When used with television cameras a separate motor can be employed for driving the panning teeth. Any convenient means may be employed for changing the panning speed to match requirements of different subjects, or different focal length lenses.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodi-- ments of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A panning guide for a photographic camera, said guide comprising means for superimposing a repeatpattern of several indicia continually and simultaneously movable along a rectilinear path at a uniform speed corresponding to .a selected panning rate across the delineated field of view seen by a user of the camera, said pattern of several simultaneously viewable indicia being a guide for the actual rate of panning.

2. In a photographic view finder for delineating a field of view, a panning guide comprising means for continually and simultaneously moving a repeat pattern of several indicia along a rectilinear path transversely of the optical axis of the view finder across the delineated field of view, said several rectilinearly moving indicia being a guide for the rate of panning.

3. In a photographic view finder for delineating a field of view, a panning guide comprising an elongated rotary means bearing a plurality of longitudinally spaced indicia of which several are continually and simultaneously visible in the delineated field of view along a rectilinear path transversely of the optical axis of the view finder, the apparent rectilinear movement of said several indicia being a guide for the rate of panning.

4. In a photographic view finder for delineating a rectangular field of view, a panning guide comprising elongated rotary means bearing a plurality of longitudinally spaced indica traveling across the width of the delineated field of view along a rectilinear path transversely of the optical axis of the view finder, and a drive means for rotating said rotary means, the apparent rectilinear movement of said indicia being a guide for the rate of panning.

5. A panning guide according to claim 4, wherein said rotary means comprises a threaded rod mounted transversely of the optical axis of the view finder, the threads of said rod constituting said indicia.

6. A panning guide according to claim 4, wherein said rotary means comprise two rods having threads of the same hand and disposed in parallel relationship at two opposite sides of the delineated field of view, said drive means being drivingly connected with said rods for rotating the same in opposite direction.

7. A panning guide according to claim 4, wherein .said rotary means comprise two rods having threads of the opposite handand disposed in parallel relationship at two opposite sides of the delineated field of view, said 5 6 drive means being drivingly connected with said rods cal axis of the view finder and being a guide for the for rotating the same in the same direction. rate of panning.

8. A photographic camera comprising a casing, a view finder for delineating a field of view disposed in said References Clted m the file of thls patent casing, and a panning guide comprising means for super- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS imposing a pattern continually movable across the field 1,858,792 Merle May 17, 1932 of view also disposed in said casing, said moving pattern 2,481,083 Chew Sept. 6, 1949 moving along a rectilinear path transversely of the opti- 2,715,351 Taesler Aug. 16, 1955 

